City were beaten 3-2 at the Etihad on Tuesday night as Jude Bellingham struck a late winner for Los Blancos but as the two sides walked out onto the field prior to kick-off, the home fans unveiled a banner of Rodri kissing the Ballon d'Or in a bid to rattle Real's cage.
Speaking to TNT Sports Brasil after the game, Vinicius Jr admitted the banner spurred him on, stating: "I see it, I see the banner, but whenever the opposing fans do things, they give me more strength to play a great game and here I did it.
You know what, if I was a Man City player… if I was coming out and say Steven Gerrard had won the Ballon d’Or and we were playing Real Madrid and he’d beaten one of their players, that’d annoy me if I was a Liverpool player.
Jamie Carragher has hit out at Manchester City supporters for antagonising Real Madrid ahead of next week's crunch Champions League play-off second leg.
The display also read 'Stop crying your heart out' - a clear message to both Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid, who snubbed October's Paris ceremony after learning the Brazilian winger had lost out on the top prize.
